Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Adam Erne joined the USHL's Indiana Ice after committing to playing college hockey at Boston University in 2013-14 in July. In 45 games with the Ice he scored 10 goals with 8 assists and was minus-18 with 49 penalty minutes. Indiana finished third in the Eastern Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne was plus-one with 1 assist in three playoff games. He was selected by Halifax in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft.

2011-12: Obtained by the Quebec Remparts in a July trade with Halifax, Erne decided to forego college hockey and instead skated in the QMJHL. In his first season with the Remparts he scored 28 goals with 27 assists in 64 games and was plus-six with 32 penalty minutes. The Remparts finished third in the East Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne scored 2 goals with 4 assists and was plus-five with 10 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games.

2012-13: Ernie was the leading scorer for Quebec in his second season after representing the USA at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka U18 Tournament in August. In 68 games with the Remparts he scored 28 goals with 44 assists and was plus-11 with 67 penalty minutes. Quebec finished third in the East Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne scored 5 goals with 5 assists and was plus-one with 19 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games. At the Ivan Hlinka Tournament he scored two goals and was named Player of the Game in the Americans' only win – a 5-3 victory over Slovakia. Erne was ranked 26th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting's final rankings prior to the 2013 NHL Draft.

Talent Analysis

A fleet-footed power forward, Erne blows by, or more often, right through defenders as he drives to the net. Though he plays a hard-nosed game, he also has soft hands and a blistering shot that he's able to fire off quickly. Blending offensive skill and physical prowess, Erne's multi-faceted style means he could fill many roles at the pro level. Some of that will depend on his consistency as he continues to develop.

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Photo: Forward Cedric Paquette was one of several young Tampa Bay Lightning players who made their NHL Playoff debut in 2014. Paquette was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)

As has been the case for the past few seasons now, the Tampa Bay Lightning had some breakthrough performances from prospects this year. Many of those strong performances carried over into the postseason, with several prospects positioning themselves well for the future.

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Photo: Selected third overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, forward Jonathan Drouin has established himself as one of the top offensive forwards in junior hockey. The 18-year-old forward currently has 78 points through 37 games in the QMJHL. (courtesy of Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

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Photo: Quebec Remparts forward and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Adam Erne is taking part in his first U20 World Junior Championship for Team USA (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Team USA started their quarterfinal contest against Russia on the offensive, scoring three goals to take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission. But a string of USA penalties in the second period swung the momentum towards Russia as they scored the last three goals of the game to take the win, 5-3.

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Photo: Finnish forward Henri Ikonen is in the midst of a breakout season with the Kingston Frontenacs. The 19-year-old has 11 goals and 24 assists through 22 games. (courtesy of Aaron Bell/OHL Images)

In recent years the Tampa Bay Lightning have shown a willingness to select players from a variety of leagues. Their prospect pool consists of a group of talented Europeans, intriguing NCAA players, and – because most of their recent CHL selections have turned pro – just six players playing junior hockey.